hour at 6:00. tonight on "world news," breaking news. we've nonolearned of at least 22 dead in the stifling heat gripping this nation. also tonight, an abc news exclusive. brian ross on the new warning sent out, potential terrorists on the inside. targeting america's power plants, gas lines, even nuclear facilities. the shark attack. a little girl in a foot and a half of water, attacked, in critical condition tonight. campaign headache. new questions tonight and a new answsw from republican star michele bachmann, about her migraines and medication. does it matter if you want to be president? broken promise. a worst nightmare come true for retirees, stunned after being told those promised pensions? time to give them back. and to borrow a phrase, what would you do? you'll want to hear what husbands across this country told us today when we asked, would your wife do this?

good evening. we begin this wednesday night with that breaking news. the dangerous heat wave has now turned deadly. there are reports tonight that at least 22 people have died in the heat. this is more than 200 million americans suffering, trapped under what meteorologists are calling a giant heat dome. three dozen states already, and and the system is spreading east. the scorching heat and humidity making it feel like 120, 130 degrees. and with this deadly heat, there are real warning signs authorities want you to look out for. one of which isn't so obvious. abc's matt gutman traveling with the system as it moves, reports in there from chicago tonight. matt, good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, david. we are here at chicago's lake front, where, get this, the place where people go to get some refuge from the heat on the sand herer it is 109, 110

degrees, on this, the hottest spot on the hottest day that this city has seen in over a decade. today, chicago is being called an urban heat island. the blazing sun and merciless humidity are cooking this city. >> it's serious out here. >> reporter: it was also torturous across half the country and dangerous. in chicago, the heat index of 110 degrees stirred memories of 1995, when a heat wave here killed over 700 people. in these conditions, the body even at rest can lose a quart of fluid an hour. and for every degree that a person's core temperature rises, the heart goes 15 beats faster per minute. that can cause serious cardiac stress. what body core temperature do you stop sweating? >> you stop sweating, i believe, around 103, 104. so, you start getting -- at that point, the body is really starting to shut down. >> reporter: and your body literally begins to cook. >> if you don't get medical care, someone could die within a half hour. >> reporter: the first warning sign is when you stop sweating in this extreme heat.

the others include headache, dizziness and nausea. so, we went ararnd chicago today to find out how much risk people were putting themselves in this afternoon. 100.6. >> like i'm running a temperature. >> reporter: you're running a bit of a temperature. not much. 99 degrees. doctors are experimenting with a new weapon in the battle against heat. these thermal blankets, which funnel cool water over the body. and david, every year, between 300 to 400 americans die of heat every year. and at the hospital, besides that heat blanket, they told us they use very low tech ways to cool people down. wet towels over their body. ice packs in the arm pits. and, of course, spritzers. all of these things can be found at home. people should use these things if they feel they are getting heat exhaustion. david? >> and matt, as you point out, when you stop sweating, a real warning sign. all right, matt gutman leading us off tonight. matt, thank you. we're going to turn next to that terrifying shark attack. a little girl in the hospital

tonight. we learned she has been upgraded from critical condition after being attacks in just a foot and a half of water. it happened on ocracoke island, a very popular spot along north carolina's outer banks. especially in this heat wave. abc's steve osunsami is in north carolina tonight. >> reporter: it was late in the afternoon. the young girl, swimming with her father in just a foot and a half of water, was riding on a boogie board when witnesses say the shark struck, seriously wounding her leg. >> the mother yelled that a child had been apparently bit by what appeared to be a shark. >> reporter: the 6-year-old suffered wounds to her calf and foot. they were severe enough that emergency personnel air lifted her to the only trauma hospital in the area, nearly two hours away. if authorities confirm this is a shark attack, it will be the 13th in the u.s. so far this year. earlier this month, carolyn cartwright's 10-year-old daughter cassidy was bitten by a shark on another beach in north carolina. >> when they pulled her out of the water, her leg was just wide open. and it was just -- a lot of blood. >> reporter: cassidy survived her encounter, which also happened in shallow water.

an attack in water only a foot and a half deep seems unusual, but most attacks occur close to shore, where sharks like to feed. with millions of people sharing the same shallow waters, shark experts say it's inevitable. there will be attacks. so, what can you do to reduce the risks? swimimn groups and avoid swimming or playing in the water during the early evening or nighttime. there's a good reason to swim in groups. experts say that sharks, like most predators go after victims that are alone. steve osunsami, abc news, surf city, north carolina. and we're going to turn now to that brand new warning, a bulletin that's just gone out coast to coast, sent to some of the most crucial and sensitive facilities in america. thousands of utilities, chemical plants, nuclear facilities, being told they could be al qaeda targets. we have reported here on "world news" on intelligence indicating terrorists want to strike between now and the upcoming 9/11 anniversary. and brian ross breaks the story and the news warnings here tonight. brian? >> reporter: good evening, david. documents found in osama bin laden's compound tell of this push of a major terror attack

against the u.s. to mark the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. this new intelligence gives added significance to all that. u.s. security analysts say sabotage by an insider at a major utility could provide al qaeda with its best opportunity for the kind of massive 9/11 anniversary attack osama bin laden was planning. >> the only way you can actually kill the large scale number of americans that he literally was calculating was through the use of these, this critical infrastructure. >> reporter: a new untell jens report from the department of homeland security, issued just tuesday, called "inside threat to utilities," warns, "violent extremists have, in fact, on stained insider positions." >> there are facilities where someone can get a job on the inside. can get access to a control room. flip a switch, which causes an electric power grid to short circuit, causes a pipeline to explode. >> reporter: the u.s. was

stunned last year in yemen after the arrest of an alleged american recruit to al qaeda, sharif mobley, of new jersey, who, it turned out, had been employed at five different u.s. nuclear power plants in and around pennsylvania. able to pass federal background checks. >> if someone were determined and had the right access, the amount of damage they could inflict could affect thousands of lives. >> reporter: the possible impact of insider sabotage was made clear earlier this year in mesa, arizona, at a water treatment plant. >> i have basically taken the plant hostage. >> reporter: officials say a disgruntled night shift worker took over the control room and tried to create a giant methane gas explosion. there was no tie to al qaeda, and his alleged plot failed. but officials say it highlights how easily one insider in the right place could create mayhem. >> and so, brian, in addition to the intelligence you've already reported on right here, this note, this warning sent out shows added warning and added concern? >> reporter: in fact, david, we

know that al qaeda has already put out the word in its online magazine, called "inspire," this is it. they're looking for brothers who have, quote, specialized exper teegs or work in sensitive locations. homeland security locations they they know of no specific threat right now. but clearly officials are very much on guard as the 9/11 anniversary approaches. >> now weeks away. brian ross with us tonight, thanks. we're going to turn now to a rising star in the presidential race, who tonight is hoping a doctor's note will put a new debate to rest. for two days now, republican michele bachmann has been asked about her migraines and medication. and here's the question. have they gotten in the way of her job before? would they get in the way if elected president? abc's jon karl has the doctor's note tonight and more on the controversy. jon? good evening. david.orter: good evening, well, here is the doctor's note that michele bachmann has released today. it comes from the in-house doctor here in congress and it gives her a clean bill of health. the letter from the top doctor in congress says bachmann has

haha extensive evaluation. "your migraines occur infrequently. when you do have a migraine, you are able to control it well, with medication." the issue was first raised monday by the conservative daily caller website, which quoted anonymous sources saying bachmann frequently suffers from incapacitating headaches. today, she was still facing questions about the report. >> well, we released a statement on this issue, and the focus that i've had, again, is on the fact that as commander in chief, i'm going to make sure that we get our fiscal house in order. >> reporter: bachmann acknowledges occasional migraines. her campaign points out her packed schedule hasn't been affected a bitit but today, tim pawlenty, the republican candidate most threatened by bachmann's rise, pounced on the report. >> going to be president of the united states, you have to be able to do the job every day all the time. there's no real time off in that job. >> reporter: the issue has touched off a furious debate, especially because migraines are more common among women. >> what's next in terms of what can affect how you're president? menstrual cramps? hot flashes?

>> reporter: she's not the only one who has had to answer the questions. john mccain battled cancer. joe biden had brain aneurysms and dick cheney already had three heart attacks when he ran. but they all had to answer questions. yesterday, brian ross was blocked by bachmann's staff when he asked if the headaches affected her job performance. >> have you ever had to skip votes because of your migraines? can you answer that question for the american people? >> reporter: bachmann's friend and fellow congressman steve king told abc news "topline" that she is fit enough for the job. >> i think if you would watch her public appearances and see how she performs in each one of them, there would be no clue of such a thing in her public appeararces. >> and jon, it seems awfully early in a campaign to be asking about the medical history of a candidate. but these are the kinds of questions she'd have to answer anyway if she made it further down the nominating process, would she not? >> reporter: no question. there is no law that requires this, but common practice for more than a generation has been that presidential nominees from the major parties release extensive medical records going into their entnte medical history.

and certainly, if bachmann gets further down the road, there will be more questions. i can tell you, i've been out there on the campaign trail with her, and few candidates campaign as vigorously as she does. doesn't seem to be slowing her down right now. >> and few covering the campaign as closely as you. jon karl tonight, thank you. meantime, to the political fire storm playing out overseas tonight. britain's prime minister today, the latest to take a very public lashing as the scandal that's rocked billionaire rupert murdoch widens. prime minister cameron had hired one of murdoch's top editors and made him a close aide. well, today, lawmakers sounded off about it and loudly. abc's jeffrey kofman is in london. >> reporter: the british, they are so polite. except when it comes to politics. >> the reply that he sent -- >> reporter: that's david cameron, the british prime minister. >> you know -- >> reporter: today, facing 138 withering questions from the opposition. >> he just doesn't get it. >> reporter: no american

president gets subjected to a verbal pounding like this. >> he should apologize for the catastrophic error of judgment he made. >> reporter: the issue? is cameron too close to rupert murdoch and his now tainted company? >> it shows my staff behaved entirely properly. >> reporter: they call this a debate. >> order! >> reporter: but to the speaker of the house, it is, well, childish. >> calm themselves, keep on an even keel. it's better for their health and for the house. >> reporter: this scandal may not seem like a big deal from afar, but it's already left the prime minister scrambling, the head of scotland yard has resigned and today, a scathing parliamentary report accuses rupert murdoch's company of deliberately trying to thwart a criminal investigation into the illegal activities of his newspaper here. >> isn't it time that we sent this non-taxpaying murdoch back from whence he came? >> reporter: the prime minister didn't have to. murdoch boarded his private jet

this afternoon to fly home to the u.s. no doubt happy to leave london and all the turbulence behind. jeffrey kofman, abc news, london. >> and questions tonight about where the controversy will go when he lands back here at home. and still ahead here on "world news" this wednesday night, broken promises this evening. an entire town gathered and told that those promised pensions? we can't afford. so, now what? and this comes as we look here for new solutions. this evening, the one thing you should ask your boss about tomorrow morning to keep your retirement dream alive. and then later here on "world news," what would you do? or better yet, what would your wife do, after that now famous right hook? we're on the streets of america tonight, and you won't believe what we heard from your husbands. oh, we call it the bundler. let's say you need home and auto insurance. you give us your information once, online...

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covenant between a town and its retirees. at this meeting last night, the city's retired as well as active duty firefighters and police were asked to give up as much as half of their pensions, after years of contributing. it's being called the big ask. what are you going to do? >> go on welfare. what else? do like everybody else is doing. >> reporter: here's how the cuts would work. a police officer, firefighter who retired at age 55, after 30 years on the job, would have their pensions cut in half, from about $40,000 a year to just over $20,000. colonel joseph moran has served 27 years on the police force. after contributing 7% of his salary each month, he says he would rather risk his entire pension than vote in favor of the city's offer. >> in many instances when you work and you provide a service for the city, that american dream is maybe a fantasy. >> reporter: and making matters worse, years ago, the town, like many others, opted out of social securitytyor its m micipal

workers. so there are no other benefits for workers to fall back on now. the city says it simply can't afford the promises of the past, and if the retirees refuse this option, not only will central falls likely have to declare bankruptcy, but the entire pension system could be in danger. >> hair cut looks a lot better than a beheading. >> reporter: with the economy sputtering and city budgets collapsing, broken promises could be coming to a town near you. linsey davis, abc news, central falls, rhode island. >> many wondering if this is a sign of things to come. and so, when we come back tonight, the flip side. a solution for baby boomers across this country. one thing you can ask your boss about tomorrow to keep your retirement dream alive. boss tomorrow morning to keep your retirement dream alive. u.s.a.a. auto insurance is often handed down from generation to generation, because it offers a superior level of protection and because u.s.a.a.'s commitment to serve

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if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision, stop taking cialis and call your doctor right away. [ male announcer ] ask your doctor if cialis for daily use is right for you. for a 30-tablet free trial offer, go to cialis.com. tonight in our series here, the good life, more on the retirement revolution in this country. 10,000 americans turn 65 every day. and it turns out, they fear running out of money more than they even fear death. so, tonight here, a solution. one question, one brand new option, to ask the b bs about. and it turns out, there is a wave of boomers who asked it already. here's abc's claire shipman. >> reporter: grant, reveling in the traditional perks of retirement. the travel. the time with his family. volunteer work. but here's another very modern picture of his golden years. he's actually still at work. >> i don't ever think i will retire completely. >> reporter: you'll never retire? >> i'm a scientist. i have been all my life. >> reporter: grant is lucky.

a ph.d in atmospheric science, he works for aerospace, a company that supports nasa programs and one that's investing heavily in a new trend. bridge jobs. part time jobs that allow employees to ease into retirement. so, the company is so smart now, they've realized, we don't want to lose -- >> we don't want to lose employees. that's what we provide to the government. >> reporter: and grant is continuing to use his, working 10 to 20 hours a week on projects or guiding colleagues. >> i want to stay active. >> reporter: in fact, 80% of boomers say when retirement day comes, they'll still be on the job. in some cases, because they want to be, in many cases, because they have to be. and experts say that bridge jobs can help with another issue. 73% of boomers claim social security before they're 65 and look at the math. if you're 62 years old, earning $60,000 a year, you'd get $1,126

a month. if you wait until you're 70, $2,123 a month. but waiting can be hard on the human psyche. >> if i say to you, would you like $1 today or $3 a year from now? most people say, i want the dollar today. >> reporter: bridge jobs may make that delayed gratification possible. grant, for one, applauds the opportunity. >> i am very h happy. i made the right decision to go ahead and stop the full-time work and move to this casual program. it's just a wonderful transition for me and i feel really good about it. >> reporter: and so experts say, really, one of the smartest moves you can make is talk to your boss about a bridge job. and, by the way, there are huge health benefits to continuing to work. we'll get into that tomorrow, david. >> hopefully boomers across the country will start the conversation tomorrow. claire shipman, thank you. when we come back here, a different question. the one we asked husbands across this nation today, after that right hook. and for the women watching out there tonight, this is going to be good.

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i just transferred a prescription to cvs because they have care 1on1. it's where the pharmacist stops and talks to me about safety and saving money with generic prescriptions. laura, let's talk about possible side effects. it's all about me. love that. get care 1on1 and talk savings, safety, and side effects when you transfer or fill a new, ongoing prescription. i'm laura, and this is my cvs. it's all mine. finally tonight, it's been dubbed the smack heard around the world. rupert murdoch's wife, of course, fending off that attacker. tonight, there's a facebook fan page for her multiplying. and as our bianna golodryga

pointed out to us today, husbands everywhere, even her own, asking, "honey, would you do that for me?" >> reporter: who needs a body guard when your wife can do this? the shaving cream pie rocketing straight for billionaire rupert murdoch's head. his wife to the rescue. the right hook seen around the world. she was even faster than the police officer. you can see him running in on your right. jimmy kimmel with a different angle. the wife beating everyone, from the queen to spongebob to the ham-burglar. laughing aside, don't mess with her. 38 years his junioio his third wife is a former volleyball champ. even late night imagining what else she's capable of. >> look at that. just throws the guy. >> reporter: and today, across america, the inevitable question. would your wife do the same? >> she would take a pie for me and not murdoch, i'm good with that. >> i don't know if i would

freeze or if my automatic reaction would be to defend him. >> i think she should protect me. you know? >> reporter: are you offended? >> a little bit. >> reporter: if this was a kid or a pair of nice shoes, what do you think? >> well, you brought in the nice shoes. of course i would defend them. >> reporter: the wives who would are flocking to facebook by the thousands. wendi has a new fan club page, growing almost as fast as her right hook. bianna golodryga, abc news, new york. >> we'll let you debate this among yourselves. at is "world news" for tonight. we're always on at abcnews.com. don't forget to watch "nightline" later. i'll see you tomorrow morning with my pal robin n berts on "gma." for diane and all of us here they call it a silent raid. the imgraix crack down that could cause this foundry to fire dozens of workers. >> and a neighborhood uprising, turns out few are actually from the neighborhood. >> and wells fargo bank is in trouble for burdening borrower

was high-priced loans. >> and the unfinished business of an east bay contractor. the recourse you have if the work at your house is left undone. good evening, everyone. i'm carolyn johnson. >> we're going to start in berkeley. workers in a steel plant are worried. >> and an immigration crack down is underway there. many workers are living in fear of what they call silent raids. today some spoke for the first time. abc 7 is live for us in berkeley with the story. >> it turns out pacific steel is far from the only place where these so called silent raids are taking place. they're happening around the country. and while the company says it's not knowingly hired undocumented workers, reality is that hundreds of people here at the third-largest steel foundry in the united states are in this country illegally.